National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula has urged Cabinet nominees John Mbadi and Opiyo Wandayi to leave channels of communication open to MPs when they assume office.
Mbadi is headed to the National Treasury while Wandayi is the Energy CS in waiting after the House endorsed the report by the Committee on Appointments approving their nomination.
The Speaker said the two, having served as MPs, know what lawmakers go through when dealing with Cabinet Secretaries.
“I will be the saddest speaker in the history of Kenya to hear from MPs, coming to complain that you cannot open the doors for them, you cannot take their calls and can’t even attend to the issues they bring to you,” he said.
President William Ruto nominated Wandayi and Mbadi to his Cabinet despite them being members of the Opposition ODM party.
The President said it was necessary to have people in the broad-based government who represent the face of the country.
Wandayi is the MP for Ugunja while Mbadi was nominated by ODM to the House.
While congratulating them for their approval by the House, Wetang’ula asked the two to mentor other Cabinet Secretaries who have not been MPs in the past.
“Go out there and set the pace. Mentor those who have not had the opportunity to come to this House on how they can deal with MPs,” he urged.
“Go to whichever offices you are from and write your letters of resignation letter as MPs and deliver them to this House, I wish you well,” he added.
The speaker also urged other Cabinet Secretaries approved by the House to “carry out the duties of the Cabinet in helping the President move this country forward.”
“You are not Cabinet Secretaries of any party, you are Cabinet Secretaries of the Republic of Kenya and you are going to work for Kenyans. I want to see you in Turkana, Lamu, Kwale, Kiambu and Narok. I want to see you everywhere so that the country can feel and appreciate you,” he said.